True Seekers
by Robin Floyd
Summary: Thomas Jordan, still seeking the Holy Grail, makes a startling discovery on a remote planet...


This is the first story I have posted, so please be gentle :-). It is a sequel of sorts to the season 1 episode "Grail" and picks up Thomas's story some years later. Spoilers for season 5 if you haven't seen the whole thing. Thanks to Hilary Weston for helpful comments on an earlier draft of this story. 

Disclaimer: Babylon 5 and all of its characters were created by J. Michael Straczynski and are owned by Warner Bros. 

True Seekers by Robin Floyd 

Thomas Jordan watched as the familiar form of Babylon 5 loomed large in the ship's viewscreen, and memories, good and bad, welled up within him. How long had it been since he left this place? Five years, maybe more? He had spent so long travelling between different worlds and cultures, he had almost stopped keeping track of time as it was measured on Earth. In any case, his years on the Babylon project had been part of another lifetime, even with another name - "Jinxo", they used to call him. This was before he found his true calling. Thomas Jordan was a True Seeker, and he sought the Holy Grail.

His small personal transport was docking now. It was strange, he mused, that his search should bring him back here after all this time, to the place where it began – where he met Aldous Gajic, the man who inspired him to take up this absurd, glorious quest. He had once believed that, if he ever left this place, it would be destroyed as the previous four stations had been. Of course, in the years since, he had come to accept that the "Babylon curse" had been lifted from him, if it had ever existed at all. Nevertheless, he felt a certain satisfaction and relief in returning here now, and seeing for himself that the old station was still very much intact, despite all that it had been through.

His ship completed its docking, and Thomas disembarked. As he stepped onto the station, memories flooded to the surface of his mind. He absorbed the sounds, the smells, the ever-present vibration of the great machinery - suddenly, it was as if he had left yesterday. And he felt a touch of pride in the small role he had had in building this great place.

The station did not appear to have changed much. Yet... perhaps it was his imagination, but there did not seem to be quite the hustle and bustle there had once been. This had once been the busiest port in the sector, with thousands of people passing through every day. Now, he noticed, only a few dozen people were scattered around the arrivals area. Of course, Thomas knew that the new Interstellar Alliance had rendered much of the station's original purpose redundant, opening up new trading links and diplomatic channels. Therefore it was only to be expected that fewer people would come here now; nevertheless, Thomas felt a twinge of nostalgic sadness.

***

Thomas arrived in the Zocolo, and found his way to the bar where he was to meet his contact. He had been led here by a chain of rumours; while travelling in Narn space recently, Thomas had come across a story concerning a man who had discovered the secret of immortality on a distant planet. Could it be the Grail? His order had long since exhausted the search for the Grail on Earth, leading the search out into space. Thomas would follow the trail wherever it led, investigating any hint, any clue, any rumour. He had followed many such trails before, and none had ever amounted to anything. But he would continue. He was a True Seeker; the search was all.

The Narn he talked to had heard the tale from a human trader, whose name he remembered, with some financial encouragement, as Pelles. With a little detective work, Thomas had traced Pelles to Babylon 5, and had managed to communicate a message arranging to meet him here.

Thomas had seen a picture of Pelles in the trading records. Across the bar, he noticed a man who looked very much like him. The man looked up, and stared oddly at Thomas's robes and ancient oak staff. "Are you Jordan?" He asked.

"I am."

"Jason Pelles. Nice outfit." They shook hands. Pelles continued, "I got your message - you said you were willing to pay for information. If that's true I'll be happy to oblige, but I'm still not clear on what it is you want."

Thomas sat down opposite him. "What do you know about immortality?"

Pelles gave him another suspicious look. "What's this about?"

"I traced you through a story that you told a Narn, about a planet where someone, supposedly, has discovered the secret of immortality. I'm interested in all such stories. If this one is true, it's possible that somebody has found a certain item that my order has been seeking for a very long time. If you're willing, Mr Pelles, I would like you to repeat the story that you told the Narn - including the name of the place, and how to get there."

Pelles shrugged. "Well, there isn't a lot to tell. It was a small mining colony, on the seventh planet of the Rigel system, called Gurgaran." He scribbled down some stellar co-ordinates on a piece of paper. "I sold them some atmosphere processors once. I wouldn't go back there, and frankly, buddy, if you're smart then you won't go either. It's a bad place. It's run by a gang of criminals, under one big boss. I never saw a place so corrupt - most workers are practically slaves, and anyone who steps out of line is made an example of. Not that anybody seems to want to; practically everyone I saw just accepted everything. They wandered through it all like zombies. It's the worst kind of thing to see: people who've lost so much that they just don't care any more. People who can't even remember what it was like to hope.

"The reason, it seems, is that the boss has discovered the secret of immortality. He can't be killed or beaten, and he can also give the gift to whoever he chooses. So his supposedly immortal henchmen keep the planet in their grip, and nobody raises a finger against them - you don't fight someone who can't be killed."

Thomas sat in thought for a moment, then picked up the paper Pelles had given him. "I see. Thank you. Gurgaran in the Rigel system, wasn't it?"

"You're not really going? I didn't even believe that immortality stuff. It was just propaganda the gang used to psych people out. Make themselves seem unbeatable. Listen, they don't like outsiders there. I stayed as short a time as I could, and I was still scared I'd get fragged if I looked at the wrong person the wrong way. And... no offence, pal, but you don't look like the kind of guy who'd last long in a place like that."

Thomas stood up. "You are a good person, Mr Pelles, to be concerned for my safety. But this is something I must do. Sometimes the search for light takes us through dark places. Mine has before, and I have lasted this long. Here are 50 credits for your information; it's not much, but it's as much as I can afford."

"Thanks, buddy." He shook his head. "The search for light...? Man, I think you're really crazy. But it seems like an okay kind of crazy. I hope you find what you're looking for."

As Thomas was leaving, Pelles called after him "By the way, you never told me what it is you're looking for."

Thomas looked back. "The Holy Grail."

Pelles looked puzzled. "Uh... are you talking literally, or metaphorically?"

Thomas smiled. "That's a far more interesting question than you know, Mr Pelles. I'll let you know when I figure it out."

"What?"

"Suffice to say, I'm looking for the real Holy Grail. I believe it truly exists, and my order is dedicated to finding it."

"OK, I see what you mean. You're like... a Holy Man, a Crusader, those guys in the old stories. Didn't think people like you really existed anymore. I mean, most people these days are only looking out for the next hundred credits."

"Perhaps we are not so rare as you think. There are many kinds of quest, after all."

"I guess. But... I can't imagine doing what you do. I mean, could there be anything worse than spending your entire life searching for something and never finding it?"

"Yes. Never searching."

Thomas turned and left Pelles silent behind him.

***

"This is Babylon Control to _Albatross_. You are clear to depart."

Thomas's ship cleared the station's docking port, and turned toward the jumpgate. He sometimes wondered why Aldous had never purchased his own ship. Given the amount of travelling from place to place that his journey would require, Thomas realised that he could soon spend more buying passage on other people's ships than it would cost to buy one of his own. So he had found a small, battered and run-down single person transport, undoubtedly having passed through many hands, which he was able to purchase for a low price. He had named it the _Albatross_ after the wandering seabird of Earth, which flew vast distances across the oceans in search of food to sustain its young. Over the years this ship had carried him to more alien planets, colonies and space stations than he could easily count. Directly behind the cockpit were the tiny living quarters which had become Thomas's home, with a bed, kitchen area and bathroom. It was a spartan existence, but Thomas had never been accustomed to luxury.

He entered the jumpgate, and found himself in the eerie netherworld of hyperspace. Naturally, a ship as small as the _Albatross _could not generate its own jump points, and thus could only enter or leave hyperspace where permanent gates had been built. He checked his star charts and entered the co-ordinates Pelles had given him. It was six hours journey in hyperspace to the jumpgate in the Rigel system; and another twenty hours travel time in normal space from the gate to the seventh planet. It was certainly off the beaten track. He sighed. Space travel was still a slow and tedious business most of the time. Everything was separated by such vast expanses of nothingness. Thomas programmed the course into the ship's autopilot, and moved back to the bed to get some sleep.

However, sleep did not come easily. He found himself thinking about his quest, and his journey so far. He had followed so many leads that had come to nothing. While he once felt he could search the entire universe, the truth was, he now felt weary. The feeling had been nagging at him for months now, like the tiniest trickle of water becoming a river, building so gradually he hadn't really noticed it until now. He had to face facts: however much he felt he owed to Aldous, he couldn't carry on searching forever.

Slowly he slipped into an uneasy sleep as his ship moved towards its destination.

***

Gurgaran mining colony was a bleak and desolate place. All of the living areas were underground, which was cheaper than building a dome on the surface. Thomas walked down the dark, dirty street from the spaceport where he had left his ship. The space traffic control people had sounded suspicious when he arrived and asked for docking permission, but had eventually allowed him to land. Perhaps they had decided it was better to keep this stranger where they could keep an eye on him.

In any case, the next step was to find someone to talk to about these immortality stories. Blank-faced people walked past him, eyes fixed on the ground in front of their feet, clearly not interested in talking. In the past, Thomas had often found that the local bar was a useful place to gather information, if he arrived with no specific person to contact. A broad cross-section of the local population could usually be found in such places, and, after having consumed a certain amount of alcohol, were often more disposed to talk to a stranger than they might otherwise be. And if the stranger was willing to buy them drinks, they could become a veritable flood of information, reliable or otherwise. Thomas made his way to the nearest bar, indicated on the colony map he had picked up.

But what he found was unlike most bars Thomas had visited. It was reasonably full of people, but the atmosphere was muted. There was no laughter or shouting; people conversed in low voices. Most looked like miners, sitting alone or in small groups. A solitary, dark-cloaked figure sat in a corner with a hood pulled over his head, obscuring his face; more people in worn, dirty clothes sat along the bar on stools. A few of them looked up as Thomas entered, staring at his strange clothes, but most paid him no attention.

Thomas approached the bar. He bought a drink, tasted it, and then wished he hadn't. He turned to the man next to him, with what he hoped was a friendly and trustworthy smile. The man looked back disinterestedly. Thomas began: "I take it you're a miner. Is this a good place to work?"

The man shrugged. "I guess you're an outsider. We don't get a lot of visitors here."

"Indeed. Well, I'd be most grateful if you could give me some information about this place. What goes on around here? What do people do?"

"Work the mines."

"That's all? But what do you spend your pay on, when you get it?"

"Pay? Don't get no pay here. Just food and drink rations, enough to live on."

They had no pay? This was slave labour. "Are people are content to live like this?"

The man shrugged again. "Dunno. I guess not. But what're you going to do?"

"Leave."

"No ships out of here except the cargo carriers taking the ore out. No way off. Anyway, why leave? It's not much, but we're alive."

Thomas realised that the man's bland, disinterested tone was really the manner of a man who had given up hope in anything. He looked around him, and saw the same zombie-like expression of all the faces. These people had been abused and exploited for so long that they no longer even questioned it. The accepted the appalling working conditions in the mines, the hours of back-breaking labour with no reward. It did not even occur to them to seek anything better. Everywhere, he looked into the eyes of people who had lost all hope. It horrified him.

"All right, can you tell me about the people in charge?"

"The Overseers. They tell us what to do. They're strong. They know best. We do what they say."

"And is it true that they're... immortal?"

"That's what they say. They don't die. Don't get old either."

"Don't get old? How is that possible?"

"Because they're Overseers. It's how they are. The Boss has magic, or something."

"I see. And do you know where I might find this Boss? Or any of these Overseers?"

"You don't go looking for them, mister. Don't attract their attention if you're smart."

Clearly, this was as much as the man knew or was willing to say. Thomas felt it was time to leave, not least because he had noticed two dangerous-looking men listening in on his conversation in the bar. It was very likely that they were Overseers, sent to keep an eye on the workers and search out anyone asking the wrong questions. That was fine: he had the Overseers attention now. He just hoped he would survive it. He gripped his staff tightly as he stood up and moved toward the exit. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the two men stand up and follow him. Yes, he had attracted their attention all right. The hooded figure in the corner also seemed to be watching Thomas.

He stepped out onto the street, and walked a few steps. He was alarmed to notice four thuggish men step out from the shadows toward him. Evidently the two in the bar had been in contact with their friends while he was not watching. He looked back, saw those two step out of the bar and move over to join the rest. He was surrounded by six people. Two or three he might be able to handle, but not six. If they decided to get aggressive, Thomas was in trouble.

He put on an innocent face. "Good evening gentlemen. Can I help you?"

"Yeah. Get off this planet now, and don't ask any more questions."

_Just this once_, Thomas found himself thinking, _maybe I should do what he says. What's the point in all this struggling? Maybe this is another wild goose chase. Maybe it's time to just give it all up_. But he couldn't. "I can't do that. I have a mission here, and I haven't broken any laws that I'm aware of."

"Fine. In the alley with him, boys. Get that stick of his..."

All six made a move to grab him, and Thomas took up a defensive stance with his staff. But at that moment, two of the men were grabbed from behind, and their heads knocked together. They fell unconscious. The rest looked up, startled, as did Thomas. A shape leapt out of the darkness, faster then Thomas's eye could follow; he heard a couple of thudding sounds, and another two men fell unconscious. The shape stopped next to Thomas, and he could see that it was the cloaked man from the bar, his hood still concealing most of his face.

The stranger spoke now in a calm, assured tone: "You will not harm a True Seeker in his quest. Leave now, and no-one else will be hurt."

The two remaining thugs glanced at each other, as though uncertain what to do. They stood on opposite sides of the stranger. They appeared to reach a decision. One grabbed him from behind, while the other lunged forward with a knife. The stranger dodged gracefully, and the knife slashed the face of the man who had grabbed him. He screamed in pain. The man with the knife looked in horror at the pile of unconscious bodies around him. He ran off. The man with the slashed face staggered to his feet and ran off as well.

Thomas turned to look at the stranger who had saved him, and gasped in surprise. In the struggle, the hood had fallen back, revealing the high, domed forehead and bone crest of a Minbari.

"I had not intended for any of them to be injured. I must be out of practice. We should leave now, Honoured Seeker." Before Thomas had a chance to say anything, the Minbari had grabbed him by the arm and led him away into the maze of back alleys.

They ran together through dark, twisting passages. Thomas was puzzled by his saviour. He had met Minbari before, of course, but this one seemed to know who he was, while Thomas did not recognise him. Actually, looking at him... Thomas felt a vague sense of familiarity. Perhaps they had met before, at least in passing? In common with most beings, Thomas found it difficult to tell apart members of species other than his own. He tried to slow the Minbari down to talk to him. "Wait. You still haven't told me how you know who I am, or for that matter who you are."

The Minbari pulled him around a dark corner and paused, inclining his head as though listening for pursuit.

"We should be safe here for the time being. To your question, I admit I do not know you personally, but I recognised your robes. I met a man of your order once before - Aldous Gajic. A great man."

"Yes, he was. I'm still carrying on his quest. My name is Thomas Jordan."

The Minbari bowed his head. "I am honoured to meet you. My name is Lennier."

***

They sat opposite one another in the dim light; neither seemed sure what to say next.

Thomas spoke first. "So, when did you meet Aldous Gajic?"

"On Babylon 5," replied Lennier. "It was just before he died."

Thomas was amazed. It was strange how that space station seemed to link so many lives and events together. "Then you and I must have met. That's where I met Aldous too, then when he died, I became his heir."

Lennier nodded. "At that time I was aide to Ambassador Delenn. Now that you mention it, I do remember seeing you - you were with Gajic when he met with Delenn."

Well, that established that they had met before. There was another moment of silence, then both of them asked simultaneously, "So how did you end up here?"

Thomas chuckled. "I'll go first. Basically, since I left Babylon 5 I've been travelling from one planet to another, following clues, rumours and myths. One of them led me here..." He repeated to Lennier what he had heard about the immortality of the Overseers.

Lennier looked thoughtful. "I hear the same stories. As yet I have been unable to determine if they are truthful or not. I must confess, I simply assumed such stories were a ruse to undermine the confidence of the workers, by making them believe the Overseers are unbeatable, and any rebellion futile. You think their leader may have found the Grail you seek?"

Thomas shrugged. "I don't know. But it's a possibility I have to follow up. Bestowing immortality is one of the properties the Grail has always been said to have. But now it's your turn, I think. How did you come to be on this planet? It doesn't look like you're an Ambassador's aide any more."

Lennier looked uncomfortable. "You're right. The truth is... I'm in exile. An outcast." Or did he say out-caste? He glanced at Lennier's face and could not tell if this was Minbari humour or not. In any case, he supposed, it came to the same thing. Thomas thought back to what he knew of Minbari society, of its three castes - Warrior, Worker and Religious. If Lennier belonged to no caste, he was an outcast from Minbari society.

"That's unusual, isn't it?" replied Thomas, feeling rather uncertain. He knew that Minbari society was rigidly conformist, and am individual was expected to live according to the caste into which they had been born. For a Minbari to be excommunicated from their caste, family and society indicated that something serious had happened. 

"Yes. It's a long story. After you left, I spent four years on Babylon 5 assisting Ambassador Delenn. Those years were... eventful. Then, after the Interstellar Alliance was founded, I joined the Anla'shok. I served the Rangers with honour and distinction, until one day -" A pained expression crossed his face. "One day, I made a terrible mistake, and dishonoured myself. I have chosen to live apart from others until I can find a way to make amends." Clearly, this was not a subject Lennier was conformable talking about, and Thomas did not press him for any further details.

Lennier continued. "The Rangers are looking for me, but my own Ranger training enables me not to be found unless I wish to be. I've moved from one place to the next, staying out of sight. I came here more or less by chance, stowed away on a cargo freighter. Since I arrived here and saw the injustice of this place, I have been gathering information on the Overseers, trying to find a way to bring them down. To fall while opposing tyranny would be a fine end."

Thomas was alarmed at this last statement. "What do you mean, to fall? Are you planning to die here?"

Lennier spoke bitterly. "You seek your Grail; at least you have something to search for. What I seek... I know I can never have. And for what I did, I can never make amends, except through an honourable death."

They sat in silence for some time. Then finally Thomas spoke. "Lennier, I know we can never detach ourselves from what's gone before, nor should we wish to. But it's all too easy for the past to become a chain around your ankle, if you let it. Trust me, I know." _Jinxo_... the name echoed tauntingly around in his mind. "For a long time, I was trapped by my past, but then I met Aldous. He taught me that we can choose our own destiny, and make our own future. Remember the past, and learn from it, but don't let it imprison you. Whatever you've done, whatever's been done to you, there can always be new beginnings." 

Lennier nodded, almost imperceptibly, but his eyes were still downcast. "Perhaps. I wish I had your faith. But I am not a True Seeker like you."

Thomas laughed. "If only you knew. The truth is... I don't know how much faith I have left these days. I'm starting to feel hopeless about ever finding the Grail. Maybe it's time to give up." Thomas was surprised to hear himself saying this - it was as if he'd been afraid to admit to himself how he had been feeling for a long time.

Lennier raised his head with a start. "But you cannot give up. You are a True Seeker. Perhaps the only one of your race. You see things others do not; you walk a special path, with your eyes on the horizon."

"Maybe," Thomas replied. "But I feel like I've had my eyes on the horizon for so long, I've missed everything around me. I mean, was the Grail ever really anything more than a story?"

Lennier spoke forcefully. "The Grail is a story, and yet it is more than a story. It has been passed down since the ancient days of your people, from one generation to the next, like a river of wisdom and meaning. Stories, myths, legends... they are a part of all of us, and we of them. You Thomas Jordan, are part of a great story. And it is important that the great stories continue, for all those who have gone before us, and those yet to come."

Thomas was surprised to hear Lennier speak with such passion. Yet hearing these words, he felt something stir within him. Aldous might have spoken them. "Strange, isn't it, Lennier? It seems each of us knows the other better than ourself. Well, all right. I guess we have work to do. Tell me everything you've found out about this place."

Lennier did so. The colony had been founded about 70 years ago - the group was led by a man named Gurgaran, after whom the colony had been named. That made it one of the oldest human colonies outside the Sol system - it was surprising that it had been kept off Earth Central's charts for so long. Exactly when the Overseer mob had taken over was unclear, but they had been in power for as long as anyone alive on the planet now could remember. They were presently based, it turned out, in a complex at the centre of the city. The boss, also named Gurgaran (a hereditary title, perhaps?) was said to live there, but nobody had seen him leave for years. It was not normally heavily guarded, but this made little difference, as it was protected by a sophisticated antigraviton forcefield.

"Of course, I know how to disable an antigraviton field," said Lennier. "I just don't have the equipment. Everything on this planet is very basic. I've gathered together things I thought might be useful - some mining charges, a few tools. But nothing that will get us into that complex. To take down an antigraviton field, we'd need..."

"A quantum resonance pulse?" said Thomas, grinning at Lennier's surprised expression. "Looking for the Grail, I've had to get into a lot of unusual places - including some their owners didn't want me to go. I've gathered quite a collection of lock-picking, forcefield-breaking, security-hacking equipment over the years. I'm sure we can find a pulse generator on my ship."

A fire seemed to fill Lennier's eyes. "What are we waiting for?"

***

They stood at the rear entrance to the complex. Lennier carried a small backpack with some of his supplies, and Thomas had the pulse generator he had collected from his ship. A door stood before them, protected by a forcefield.

"Here goes nothing."

He activated the pulse generator, and something in front of them flickered. Thomas held out his staff and jabbed it at the door. It struck metal.

They approached the door and Lennier pressed the panel adjacent to it; the door slid open. Exchanging nervous glances, Thomas and Lennier entered the complex. It seemed a little too easy. They made their way through a dark corridor, and toward another door at the other end. However, before they reached it, it opened to reveal a group of eight Overseers. Thomas recognised some of those who had attacked him earlier, including -

Thomas gasped. The man whose face had, just hours earlier, been slashed open stood before them now with only a slight scar where the vicious cut had been. There was no sign of stitches, nor even a sticking plaster. Lennier had noticed him, too. Clearly, some strange power was at work on this planet. No normal person healed that fast. Could the Grail truly be here?

The scarred man drew a PPG. "Gurgaran said you might be back. I don't know who you are, but we've got a nice little set up going on here. We aren't going to let a couple of outsiders screw it up." A couple of the other men drew PPGs; others carried knives or clubs. Thomas gripped his wooden staff; it looked as though they were in for a fight after all.

Lennier reached beneath his cloak and drew out a small metal cylinder. With a quick flick of his hand, the device sprang open to become a five foot long staff. Lennier spun it expertly and adopted a fighting stance.

"Whenever you're ready, gentlemen."

***

A few minutes later Thomas and Lennier were continuing through the corridors. Thomas marvelled at the short work Lennier had made of the guards; whatever fatalism he might have been feeling was clearly not affecting his fighting ability. Thomas had knocked out a couple of the guards with his own staff, but Lennier, moving with incredible speed, had rapidly disarmed the remainder with his Minbari fighting pike. There was something strange about the guards, though. Even though they fought with little skill, they proved oddly difficult to put out of action. Even after begin knocked down several times, with a force that would put any normal human out cold, they had kept getting up for more. Finally, however, they were all rendered unconscious.

The final door opened into a large chamber. Both Thomas and Lennier entered, then stared in amazement. An immense dome stretched above them; threading down from the ceiling of the dome were countless long black tendril-like structures, as thick as tree-trunks. All of these converged upon a dark monolith in the center of the chamber; the entire structure resembled nothing so much as a huge obsidian spider, or perhaps an octopus, with its legs stretching up to the ceiling. But its surface was not entirely black; as they looked closer, it glistened and pulsed with flashes of other colours as though alive, as though some unknown form of energy was flowing through the entire structure, from the dome down to the "body" at the center. And in this body, in an alcove shaped to fit a humanoid body, stood a man. He was tall and thin, with grey hair and a short, neatly trimmed beard. He looked up at them as he spoke.

"Ah, the two heroes. I've been expecting you. I am Gurgaran."

***

Lennier stepped forward. "What is this thing?"

Gurgaran grinned, a shark-like expression. "It's my life-giving device. I discovered it buried deep underground when I first came to this planet. I suppose it's a relic of some ancient civilisation - could be thousands, maybe millions of years old. They built things to last in those days. Of course, it took me a while to figure out how it worked. But it's really quite simple, in principle - it allows the person in control of the machine to drain the life energy from others, extending his own life indefinitely while cutting short those of the victims. Of course, it can be used at many levels. I have it working at a constant low level on every person in this colony, draining their lives away so gradually they don't even notice. All they feel is a general sense of weariness and hopelessness. I'm sure you've felt its effects since you've been within its range."

Thomas felt a mixture of conflicting emotions. The mystery of the Overseers' immortality had been solved - but this was not the Grail. The Grail gave life; this was an evil machine designed to benefit one while diminishing thousands.

"I have a relay device implanted in my body", Gurgaran continued, "so that I don't even have to be attached to the machine for it to empower me. All of my employees have them, so they can rule over the colony without any fear of uprising. Of course, I keyed the master controls for myself before I gave the gift to anybody else, so I can take it away as easily. I don't need to worry about any of my lieutenants with designs on the top job."

Lennier raised his pike. "I'm sure you realise we can't let you get away with this. To exploit thousands of people for your own selfish ends goes against every moral principle of sentient life."

"Surely you don't think I'd have let you get this far if there existed the slightest chance that you could stop me? You see, I have complete control over this machine. I can extend its range over many miles, or concentrate its effects on a single person."

Lennier started to move forward, but Gurgaran's hand was already on the control panel. He flicked a switch. Instantly, Both Thomas and Lennier collapsed to the ground as a wave of paralysis washed over them.

Pain. Despair. Emptiness. Thomas had never felt a sensation like it. He felt as though he were falling into an infinite, dark, unsympathetic abyss. _There is no Grail_, he thought. _There is no purpose. There is no hope. My life is meaningless._ He knew, intellectually, that it was the alien machine causing these feelings. Yet this did not diminish them. The machine only magnified the doubts and fears that had been building for months, perhaps years. Dimly, he was aware of Lennier writhing on the ground next to him, undoubtedly in his own private pit of despair.

Was this it? Was Thomas going to die, having wasted his life on a fool's errand? The memory of Aldous arose in his mind. He watched Aldous die again, unfulfilled, as Thomas was, dead without ever seeing the end of his quest. And yet... Aldous was not unfulfilled. His dying words echoed - "_I see it, Thomas..."_ He never stopped believing in it, and lived his whole life according to his beliefs - and so, in the end, he had found the grail, at the end of his quest. If only Thomas could find that belief, that certainty...

_If I fail now, thousands will continue to suffer here, and maybe elsewhere..._

_ To relieve suffering, that's why I seek the grail..._

And then he saw it. The Grail. It filled his vision, enveloping his whole spirit in a golden light. And he knew that it was real.

He could move again. The paralysis had suddenly been broken. Gurgaran stood over him. Thomas struck him with his staff, and Gurgaran fell across the room. He looked up in astonishment. "You broke the connection. Nobody's ever done that before." He stood up, and advanced towards Thomas. Thomas struck out with his staff again, but Gurgaran, with lightning reflexes, grabbed the end of the staff and held it. His strength was incredible.

"You forget - I'm still draining strength from your Minbari friend. You have no chance of beating me." He threw Thomas across the room as though he were a rag doll.

Thomas had no hope of winning, unless Lennier could break free of the alien device's influence as he had. But how had he done it? He had held the Grail in his mind...

He understood. "Lennier! You have to concentrate on what gives you hope! Focus on one thing that's more important to you than anything else! That's how you break the machine's hold on you!"

Gurgaran was still advancing towards Thomas. He darted forward and grabbed Thomas around his neck. Thomas struggled but couldn't move. He thought he heard Lennier murmur something: "_Delenn_..."

Suddenly Thomas broke free of Gurgaran, whose strength seemed to desert him. Lennier was standing up, shakily. "It would appear that you are no longer at an advantage, Gurgaran."

Gurgaran looked terrified. Lennier stood between him and the controls of the machine; he couldn't readjust it. "Now, I'm sure we can discuss this reasonably..." That was when Thomas knocked him unconscious with his staff.

Thomas hurried over to Lennier. "Are you alright?" 

"Yes. It is an interesting machine. Shadow technology, quite possibly. Though we came across something else on Babylon 5 once, which was also able to transfer life energy, though not in quite the same way... No matter. It is fortunate that you discovered the means to resist its influence."

"Well, I guess it needed a weak point to break into a person's soul. If your belief is stronger than its attack, its hold is broken."

"Indeed. Well, this machine must be put out of action as soon as possible; one of these mining charges should do the trick. After that, I must leave this planet quickly. When I collapsed... I believed I was about to die. So I activated an emergency beacon I carried beneath my cloak, alerting the Rangers to my whereabouts. They will arrive soon."

They set the explosive charge, and ran off along the corridor they came in, carrying the unconscious Gurgaran with them. They felt the building shake as the charges they had set exploded behind them. 

They saw guards standing around, looking confused. They were no longer being empowered by the machine, and were uncertain what to do. Thomas and Lennier reached the outside without interruption. They placed Gurgaran on the ground to rest, but were shocked when they looked at him.

He was withering away. He now looked over a hundred years old, and was growing older before their eyes. The machine had been supporting him for so long, that with its destruction, he could no longer live. Within moments, a shrivelled corpse lay on the ground. 

***

About eight hours later, the Ranger ship arrived. Thomas was surprised at the speed with which they had responded to Lennier's signal. He suspected there were a considerable number of things Lennier had not told him about his connection to the Rangers, why he had left, and why they were so anxious to find him. Since destroying the machine, Thomas had begun trying to help the colonists back to some kind of normality. Lennier, in the general confusion, had already disappeared. 

Thomas watched the White Star touch down in the docking bay. A dozen Rangers, both humans and Minbari, in their traditional black and grey uniforms, trooped off the ship. Thomas also noticed a slender woman in a grey-brown robe disembark the ship. She had Minbari features, but long, brown hair flowed beneath her bone crest; he realised, to his astonishment, that this was Delenn, the Minbari ambassador to the Interstellar Alliance, and also the current Entil'Zha - the leader of the Rangers. Thomas had met her years before, on Babylon 5. At that time, she was still a full Minbari. He was aware of her transformation from the newscasts, of course, but nothing could prepare him for the strangeness of meeting her in person. Yes, there were definitely things Lennier hadn't told him.

She approached him, and bowed her head in the traditional Minbari greeting. "It is good to see you again, after all these years, Honoured Seeker. I have been told of what you have done here, and I thank you on behalf of the Interstellar Alliance."

Thomas bowed in return. "Thank you, Ambassador. I'm honoured, but I did not expect someone of your importance to travel with the Rangers on a law enforcement mission such as this. Forgive my presumption, but this does not seem normal."

Delenn looked more serious. "That is true. In fact, I am here on a.... personal matter." Delenn paused, as though uncertain how to continue. Finally, awkwardly, she said: "I know that Lennier was here. Tell me, did you see him?" Despite her controlled manner, a fleeting expression of pain crossed Delenn's face as she mentioned the name.

Ah, thought Thomas. "Yes, Ambassador."

"Then he is safe, I trust?"

"Quite safe, but I'm afraid he's long gone."

Delenn did not seem surprised. "Of course. Did he... tell you anything of the reasons why he left the Anla'Shok?"

Thomas chose his words carefully. "Only that he had once made a terrible mistake, for which he was still trying to make amends. I didn't inquire any further." Which was true, but since seeing Delenn, Thomas was suddenly able to guess a good deal about the nature of Lennier's 'dishonour'. And as their eyes met, he could tell that Delenn knew what he had surmised.

She gave a sad, almost imperceptible smile. "I see. May I ask you a favour? If you should see him again, at any time, could you give him a message from me?"

"Of course, Ambassador."

"Tell him... that he is forgiven. By both of those he acted against. Tell him that - we want him to come home."

"I will do so, Ambassador, if I see him. But, in any case, I believe he will come home when he feels he is ready. In my line of work, one learns the value of patience. And of hope."

***

"Space traffic control to _Albatross_. You are clear to depart."

Thomas lay back in his seat as his ship took off. He was exhausted. Yet he felt a still, quiet sense of purpose within him; the quest for the Grail would continue, and he would follow wherever it led. In the meantime, one other thing remained. He turned his seat around to face the living area, and spoke aloud: "I think you'll find it more comfortable up here on the flight deck."

A moment later, a storage locker opened and Lennier stepped out, looking slightly sheepish. "Sorry. I did not want to deceive you, but I thought it better if you were able to truthfully deny having seen me. I had assumed my stealth skills would enable me to pass undetected..."

Thomas grinned. "Oh, they did. I only knew you were on board because it was the logical choice. You had to get off the planet undetected, and no other ships have left since I saw you last. And now that the Rangers have arrived, any ship leaving in the near future will be thoroughly inspected for stowaways - they're still trying to track down the remaining Overseers. So under the circumstances, this is where you'd be. Don't worry about it, I'm glad of the company."

Lennier stepped forward and sat on the co-pilot's seat next to him. He looked more relaxed than Thomas had seen him before, almost happy. "It is good to be off that planet. I appreciate the lift. You can drop me off wherever you next stop."

"Sure. Actually, at the moment I'm not certain where that will be. There are a lot of places left to search."

"You are continuing your quest, then?"

"Yes. Visiting this planet reminded me how much pain there is in the Universe needing to be healed." They travelled on in silence for a few moments. Then Thomas said, carefully, "I spoke to Delenn before I left."

Lennier's expression remained guarded. "She is well, I trust?"

"Yes. She gave me a message for you. She forgives you, and so does the other person involved." Lennier stared straight ahead; Thomas could see a mix of conflicting emotions flicker across his face, then vanish. "She wants you to come home, Lennier."

Lennier nodded. "I know. And I will, someday. But not today. I still have to make amends. But I know what I have to do now. When I joined the Rangers, I swore an oath: "_We live for The One; we die for The One_." For a long time, all I've cared about is the second part of that sentence. Now, I realise that the first is equally important. While I was in the grip of that machine, it was Delenn I fixed in my mind. She is the kindest, most compassionate person I have ever known. She cares for everyone, everywhere. There is no living being that suffers pain, that she does not feel for.

"There a lot of places like Gurgaran in the universe. Places where the innocent suffer, and hope is forgotten. I will go wherever I can do good. That is what Delenn would do. That is how I will make amends to her; by fighting for what she believes in.

"Delenn's love... that is my Grail, and always has been. And I don't know if I'll ever find it. But if, in my search, I enrich my soul and better the world around me, then the search is worthwhile."

"I'm glad you know what you're looking for now," replied Thomas. "I guess we both do." The system's sun shone through the window on their left; its golden light filled the small cabin. "I'm honoured to have aided a True Seeker in his quest," said Thomas.

Lennier looked back at him. "I think that's my line."

Thomas continued to gaze at the stars ahead of them. "One way or another, I suppose it applies to most of us."

The ship glided on as the sun sank below the planet's horizon.

The End


End file.
